Romania's black cigarette market stood at 8.3 percent of the total consumption this September, in line with the previous months, but higher compared to the 2022 average of 7.1 percent, shows a survey by Novel Research."In September 2023, the black market remains steady in almost all the regions of the country. Among the new elements worth mentioning for September's survey is the inclusion of Bulgaria among the main sources of smuggled tobacco products. With a share of 16.8 percent and an upward trend in the last year, Bulgaria is third in place as regards smuggled tobacco products, after duty-free outlets and cheap whites. Also, the survey carried out in the last months no longer identified cigarettes smuggled from Ukraine. There is a downward trend in the share of products from Moldova (7.6 percent), while Serbia is constant," said Novel Research managing partner Marian Marcu in a press release on Wednesday.Citing data on the platform StopContrabanda.ro, BAT Legal and External Affairs Director for South-East Europe Ileana Dumitru said that year-to-date, the Romanian authorities have captured about 105 million contraband cigarettes, more than double the amount in the same period last year.Head of the Romanian Customs Authority Ion Cupa said that 10 million illegal cigarettes were discovered in a recent raid carried out in the counties of Suceava and Teleorman, during which customs inspectors provided specialist assistance alongside representatives of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism, the Organized Crime Directorate, the Directorate for the Investigation of Economic Crimes, and the Border Police General Inspectorate.In 2022, tobacco companies funnelled about 20 billion RON to the state budget in excise duties, VAT and other taxes and contributions.
Romanian prime minister Ilie Bolojan stated during an interview on Wednesday, December 17, that there should be no statute of limitations in cases of serious corruption. The statement comes after a Recorder investigation, which showed that several heads of the major institutions in the Romanian justice system allegedly delayed trials for years until wrongdoings were […]
President Nicușor Dan has challenged, before the Constitutional Court (CCR), the constitutionality of the law that requires that at least 40% of the athletes who play on a team in official national competitions be Romanian. Dan noted that the law violates the principle of non-discrimination and the free movement of workers, enshrined both in the […]
Craiova International Airport will open its new passenger terminal on Thursday, December 18, completing a major infrastructure investment aimed at significantly expanding capacity and improving air connectivity in southwestern Romania. It is part of a broader expansion and modernization project financed through the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme (POIM) 2014–2020, with a total value exceeding EUR […]
Romania is set to be connected to the Western European energy network thanks to grid investments worth EUR 30 billion. The funds will be provided by the EU by 2035, and the project will link Romania to Hungary and Austria in a joint project. Romanian energy minister Bogdan Ivan signaled the signing of the new […]
Franck Bagouet has been appointed managing director of TotalEnergies Marketing Romania SA and managing director of Automotive Southeast Europe Hub TotalEnergies Marketing. He succeeds Didier Grimault, who has accepted a new position within the TotalEnergies company. “I am glad to join this dynamic affiliate and confident that, together with our talented team, we will reinforce […]
Databricks, the data analytics and artificial intelligence company co-founded by Romanian professors Ion Stoica and Matei Zaharia, announced on Tuesday, December 16, that it is raising USD 4 billion in funding at a valuation of USD 134 billion, according to CNBC. The new valuation represents a 34% increase compared to the August round, when Databricks […]
